Through the Blue Mountains to Lithgow and Glen Davis, Australia

Dean WickhamMarch 24, 2013

There wasn’t a lot happening around Wisemans Ferry, and all we really got from our camping spot was a whole lot of mosquito bites, so after a quick breakfast and a shower, we packed up and continued on our journey.

Our path today wouldn’t really take us very far south, but instead on more of a westward direction as we headed back inland to the town of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Our journey from Wisemans Ferry took us to the town of Windsor, not far from Sydney, before we began climbing up into the Blue Mountains.

We passed through the apple growing area of Bilpin before entering the Blue Mountains National Park. With forest covered mountains and views of spectacular deep gorges, this is an area that I would love to come back and spend more time in. Since we are travelling with a dog, we couldn’t stop in the National Park to do any walks, and instead just had to drive through.

The old post office in Lithgow

Lithgow is a decent sized town that has been around since the 1870’s, built for the main western railway line that runs inland from Sydney. The town has kept most of its original buildings which gives it that olden day’s charm that a lot of these old country towns have. We walked along Lithgow’s main street to the railway station, then up past the old theatre and courthouse to the Hoskins Memorial Church, then back along a street lined with cosy old cottages.

The theatre in Lithgow

The old courthouse

Hoskins Memorial Church

After picking up a few supplies, we continued heading west towards our campsite on Lake Wallace in the town of Wallerawang. The reserve on Lake Wallace is a lovely spot, however just as we drove into the site there was a great big sign in front of us saying “No Camping”. Our camping book had let us down again.

We decided to stop there for some lunch while we worked out where we would go instead. The closest option in our book was a place called Glen Davis, located nearly 80kms away from Lithgow. Since this meant that we would be heading north again and therefore backtracking, we were really hoping that this campsite would work out.

The drive to Glen Davis took us up through the magnificent Capertee Valley, with tall sandstone cliffs towering up on each side. Glen Davis itself sits in this spectacular valley, now basically a ghost town.

Sandstone cliffs surround the town of Glen Davis

Glen Davis came into existence around the time of the Second World War to support a shale oil mining operation. The settlement was home to about 2500 people, however the operation was short lived and closed down after only a few years. As with most mining towns, Glen Davis then had no real reason to exist anymore, and so, apart from a few houses that people still live in, the rest of the buildings were either moved or simply abandoned.

The old abandoned general store

An old petrol bowser in Glen Davis

The camping ground is right in town, set among gum trees and with views of the spectacular cliffs that surround the town. It has water, flush toilets, hot showers and fire places available, and it is completely free. Not a bad find at all and certainly worth the drive.

Our camping spot at Glen Davis

We spent the afternoon wandering around the town and viewing some of the old abandoned buildings that still exist. Although Glen Davis no longer has any reason to be here, I can see why some people have chosen to live here. The setting is just beautiful.

Glen Davis panorama

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That looks like quite an adventure, with some stunning scenery. It’s amazing how deserted towns can actually feel a bit spooky but still so appealing. Wonder who the realtor for the place is, i’d move in right now 😉